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Natasha Gardner

Senior Editor

Natasha Gardner writes and edits long-form journalism and multimedia projects for 5280 and is a regular columnist for 5280.com. She was named a finalist for a 2012 National Magazine Award in the public interest category for “Direct Fail,” an expose of Colorado’s “direct file” policy of sending juveniles to adult prison. Since that story was published, the state has dramatically changed the direct file law. Her investigation of the Colorado foster care system (“Unwanted”) received multiple awards, including a prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2010, she was also a National Magazine Awards finalist for “Low on O2,” a service package that explores the impact of altitude on day-to-day life in Colorado (co-written with Lindsey B. Koehler). She also won The Knight-Risser Prize for Western Environmental Journalism for “Dry Times," an investigation of Colorado's water crisis that she co-wrote with Patrick Doyle. Gardner has appeared on Colorado Public Television to discuss her work and current affairs. She was a Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma Ochberg Fellow in 2011. Before settling in Colorado, she worked in book publishing in New York. She has a BA from Smith College and holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado. She lives in Denver with her husband and son.

Why we like it: Boulder’s Left Hand Trail isn’t too long, too steep, or too far away. In other words, it is just right for a weekday excursion.
When to go: This year-round trail can be muddy during the shoulder seasons, so go now.
I have an uncanny ability to overschedule my...

If you're reading this, you might be one of the million Americans who are avoiding looking at a TV right now. No, our national obsession with the tube isn’t waning—on average, we stare at that machine for more than five hours a day—we’re just sick of watching ads. This morning, while getting ready...

Since Colorado history classes are making national headlines lately, we wanted to bring you a bit of the past—without controversy. From 1935 to 1945, the Dust Bowl era that devastated the economy and scarred Colorado’s landscape, the Farm Security Administration/Office of War...

Coloradans know that beer is much more than a sporting event accessory. Chances are, you’ve been to a beer dinner, or at least thought about whether one brew would be better than another to drink with your grilled steak. So, how do you pair suds with supper? We asked Great Divide’s Brian Dunn...

If you’ve toured as many breweries as we have, you’ve likely noticed that brewers have all kinds of crazy names for their equipment—especially tanks. Here, a compilation of some of Colorado’s best. (The winner is at the bottom!)
Most Clever: River North Brewery uses a tank named “Louis...